Until the recession New Labour spent less as a proportion of GDP than Thatcher - any deficit was a result of taxing at a much lower rate than Thatcher did.
Now that government cuts have produced a widening in the deficit, it is worth examining the main myth of the Tory-led coalition – the myth that Labour’s profligate spending caused the deficit; Michael Burke investigates
Backers of the coalition often say that New Labour taxed and spent profligately, however the chart below, using Treasury data, shows this assertion to be factually incorrect. Until the ‘Great Recession’ New Labour spent less as a proportion of GDP than Thatcher did. The cause of any deficits over New Labour’s terms of office was a result of taxing at a much lower rate than Thatcher did.
As the chart clearly shows both spending and taxation were lower under the New Labour years than under Thatcher. The table below shows the average spending and taxation receipts over the period, as a proportion of GDP:
|
Average expenditure and taxation receipts, % GDP, 1978/79-2009/10 |
|
|
Average expenditure, % GDP |
Average taxation receipts, % GDP |
|
Callaghan 1978/79* |
45.6 | 41.3 |
| Thatcher 1979/80-1990/91 |
44.2 | 42.0 |
| Major 1991/92-1996/97 |
42.1 | 36.6 |
| Blair 1997/98-2006/07 |
38.7 | 37.5 |
| Brown 2007/08-2009/10 |
44.2 | 37.4 |
|
Source: UK Treasury, Public Finances Databank (Tables B2 & C1); * Last year only |
Before the ‘Great Recession’, New Labour had by some margin the lowest level of public spending of any of the governments identified. Even during the Brown premiership – which coincided with the deepest recession in the post-WWII period – spending only rose to the same average level as under Thatcher. Taxation receipts were also considerably lower.
Of course under Mr Brown the sharp decline in the level of GDP produces a declining denominator which magnifies both tax and spending as a proportion, while the economic effects automatically reinforce that effect – spending rises (welfare, etc) and tax revenues fall. New Labour taxed and spent much less than Thatcher.
83 Responses to “New Labour taxed and spent much less than Thatcher”
robert woodland
New Labour taxed and spent much less than Thatcher: http://bit.ly/jqR6nZ writes Michael Burke, @SocEconB
Realitycheck
Why is LFF still a Nu-Labour apologist. Accept the errors, talk about the mistakes, become reborn in the public’s eyes.
Continual rants about how it wasn’t actually as bad as everyone thought it was, attempting to convince us that we must have “mis-remembered”. Gosh, you sound almost as bad as Pravda. It does nothing for your credibility.
Anon E Mouse
Fat Bloke On Tour – Although you haven’t been around these parts for a while (and our lives have been lessened during that period – nice to see you back) I must say you surprise me at not knowing all this.
I have been banging on now since the last election saying just this – the government is simply not cutting the way it says it is – just like Thatcher did.
The author is right and your mention of the North Sea oil completely misses the point.
The fact is Labour ordered PFI projects – a shameful Tory invention that they felt fit to continue to line the pockets of their big business buddy’s. Bit like knighting the bankers.
And despite Labour being lead by a tax avoiding multimillionaire who hasn’t done a single days work in his life and being deputised by a countess toff, here’s me thinking you were in support of the working man FBOT.
How wrong it appears I am. Now I’m afraid….
michael burke
Q: Who spent more Thatcher or New Labour?
A: Thatcher http://t.co/H6vlHzW Piece by me on Leftfootforward (corrected tweet!)
Cahal
Major had a bit of a spending binge didn’t he?? Was actually higher than Brown’s.